VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — News 3 has followed along as people in Hampton Roads have worked to clean up the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways. This week there's a new emphasis on the cleanup efforts. The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance announced $150,000 in grant money is going to oyster restoration, aquaculture and education in Virginia and Maryland, to be distributed to 17 different organizations.
The Lynnhaven Oyster Club is one group that's using the 2025 Innovation Award grant money for an oyster-related project with Virginia Beach Public School's environmental studies program.
Friday students told News 3 that there's something special about oysters.
Watch previous coverage: Chesapeake Bay takes step forward for National Park designation
"They help filter the water and they help reduce shoreline erosion," explained Aubrey Moore, intern and Virginia Beach student.
"How does that impact the people of the area?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.
"Well I can speak from first-hand experience," said Moore. "I am an active fisherman in our waterways and the oyster reefs are a great source of finding those fish because they provide the food that the fish are eating, so by increasing the oysters it increases the other species that are able to live in our waterways."
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With the grant money they'll be testing out oyster growing methods. They want to improve oyster shell density and have a goal to reduce oyster mortality by 10 to 15 percent.
"We are helping our mentors set up this new innovative system which would make their oyster farming more efficient," said Isabelle Chao, intern and Virginia Beach student.
"We are working with Lynnhaven Oyster Club to construct a cage system that will be subaquatic, so under the water, and will use the natural water movement to self-tumble the oysters," added Moore.
"Why do oysters need to be tumbled?" asked Craven.
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"It helps with their growth and how they taste too. If you just let the oysters sit there and they're not moving and getting any water running through them, they won't be good," explained Noah Wagner, intern and Virginia Beach student.
The oyster aquaculture project has special considerations since they're on the Lynnhaven River, a mixed-use watershed which flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
"Basically on most oyster farms that are more efficient, the technology is advancing to flip farms, which are floating cages of oysters, but in Virginia Beach homeowners are very concerned with the viewscape," said Chao.
That's why they want to support the oysters while preserving the view that they know and love.
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"I grew up on Lynnhaven River. It's all I've ever known. I love it," added Wagner.
The Lynnhaven Oyster Club said the project will not only help the environment, the experiential learning opportunity is important for the students both now and in the future.
"We are having such a huge input and impact along with our mentors. It's so cool that we get to be involved in this groundbreaking project," said Chao.
